Non merci, say Dahl's French publishers to rewrites

Cover of the French version of Roald Dahl's Lamb to the Slaughter. gallimard-jeunesse.fr

The French publishers of Roald Dahl on Tuesday ruled out any changes to the late British author's translated books after reports that English editions were being rewritten for modern audiences.

The Daily Telegraph said last week that publishers Puffin had made hundreds of changes to characters and language in Dahl's stories for children including making the diminutive Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gender neutral and calling Augustus Gloop enormous rather than fat.

Twit in The Twits is also no longer ugly, but beastly instead, while the Cloud-Men in James and the Giant Peach are now Cloud-People.

Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship. Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed. https://t.co/sdjMfBr7WW

— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) February 18, 2023

"This rewrite only concerns Britain," a spokeswoman for publishers Gallimard said.

"We have never changed Roald Dahl's writings before, and we have no plans to do so today," she told the French press agency AFP.

Gallimard first published James et La Grosse Peche (James and the Giant Peach) in 1966, and Charlie et la Chocolaterie in 1967. Both have seen several new editions since.

Although less famous than in the English-speaking world, Dahl's children's books have a loyal following in France and are all available in Gallimard's Folio collection of young people's literature.

The British publisher's rewrite decision caused a wave of criticism with writers Salman Rushdie and Philip Pullman, freedom of expression body PEN and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak all weighing in on the debate.

In France, translator and commentator Berengere Viennot told the Slate.fr website that "a rewritten Roald Dahl novel is no longer a Roald Dahl novel".

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Mes réflexions sur la censure infligée à l'œuvre de Roald Dahl avec la bénédiction de ses ayants-droit... https://t.co/5uL9LCr5NS via @slatefr

— Bérengère Viennot (@Berentrice) February 21, 2023

According to the Telegraph, the Dahl Estate sold the book rights in 2021 to video streaming company Netflix for a reported $686 million. The American streaming service "has overall control over the book publishing, as well as various adaptation projects that are in the works," according to the newspaper.

Roald Dahl invented some of the best loved characters in children's literature, including the Oompa-Loompas, pictured in 2011 with Rusty Goffe, who starred in the 1971 film adaptation "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

(Agencies)